Space and Defense

• ISRO's Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1) for Gaganyaan Mission:
  • ISRO successfully tested the first IADT-1, a parachute system for the safe return (splashdown) of the Gaganyaan crew module.
  • The test involved dropping a 5-ton weight to simulate the crew module's return and assess the parachute's speed reduction capability.
  • Conducted at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
  • Vyommitra is the human-like robot India plans to send before crewed missions.
  • Gaganyaan is India's human-crewed space mission.
  • Samudrayaan is India's deep-ocean mission, utilizing the Matsya 6000 submersible.
  • The launch vehicle for Gaganyaan will be LVM.
  • Four individuals selected for the Gaganyaan mission are Prashant Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Subhanshu Shukla.
• Indian Naval Ships (INS) Commissioning:
  • INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, "Stealth Guided Missile Frigates" under Project 17A, were commissioned into the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam on August 26.
  • This marks the first time two Project 17A frigates were commissioned simultaneously in India.
  • The first ship under Project 17A was INS Nilgiri.
  • INS Udaygiri was constructed at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
  • INS Himgiri was constructed at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited in Kolkata.
  • INS Udaygiri is designated for the Eastern Command's fleet, and INS Himgiri for the Western Command's fleet.
  • Google launched the 7th generation AI chip "Ironwood".
  • China launched the world's first 10 Gigabit Broadband Network.
  • Gandeev refers to a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile.
• Indian Army Operations in Jammu & Kashmir:
  • Operation Tickaa: Launched in Baramulla to thwart infiltration.
  • Operation Keller: Initiated in the Sophiya sector to eliminate terrorists.
  • Operation Shiv Shakti and Operation Mahadev: Campaigns to counter terrorism.
• Indian Army Operations in other regions:
  • Operation Brahma: Launched in Myanmar following an earthquake.
  • Operation Sindhu: Conducted in Iran to evacuate stranded Indians.
  • Operation Kal Nemi: Initiated in Uttarakhand to target fake saints/godmen.

Finance and Banking

• New Development Bank (NDB) Appointment:
  • Rajiv Ranjan has been appointed as the Vice President and Chief Risk Officer (CRO) of the New Development Bank (NDB), the bank of the BRICS institution.
  • NDB was established in 2014 via the Fortaleza Declaration in Brazil, a name proposed by Prime Minister Modi.
  • Its headquarters are in Shanghai, China.
  • Algeria is cited as the latest member of NDB (May 2025).
  • Ajay Bhushan Pandey is the Vice President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
• AI-Powered "Right Bank" in Malaysia:
  • Malaysia launched the world's first fully AI-powered "Right Bank," operated by Artificial Intelligence for customer interactions.
  • The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, and its currency is the Ringgit.
  • The term "Artificial Intelligence" was coined by John McCarthy in 1956.
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Milestone:
  • The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has exceeded ₹15 lakh crore in cumulative Gross Merchandise Value (GMV).
  • GeM was established in 2016 to facilitate direct transactions between sellers and buyers, reducing intermediaries.
• CBI's "Operation Chakra":
  • The CBI launched "Operation Chakra" to dismantle an international cyber fraud syndicate.
  • This operation targets masterminds behind international cyber fraud, including a ₹330 crore cybercrime against a US citizen.
  • The operation involves collaboration between the CBI (India) and the FBI (USA).
• RBI and Financial Initiatives:
  • The "Prabah Portal" was launched by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
  • The first FinTech Hub (IGFTCH) in India is located in Odisha.

National and International Events

• Former Sri Lankan President's Arrest:
  • Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (President from 2022 to 2024) was arrested on corruption charges, later granted bail.
  • The Palk Strait connects India and Sri Lanka.
  • Sri Lanka's capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
• Maruti Suzuki eVitara Launch:
  • Prime Minister Modi launched Maruti Suzuki's first Battery Electric Vehicle, eVitara, in Hansalpur, Gujarat.
  • The vehicle was entirely manufactured in India and uses Lithium-ion batteries (available in 49 KWH and 61 KWH versions).
  • In Hansalpur, Gujarat, Suzuki, Toshibo, and Denso companies jointly inaugurated a Lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility.
• Tri-Service Seminar "Ran Samvad 2025":
  • The first tri-service seminar "Ran Samvad 2025" was held in Dr. Ambedkar Nagar Army War College, Madhya Pradesh.
  • The objective is to enhance warfighting skills.
  • India's CDS Anil Chauhan participated, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also expected to attend.
• Ban on Palmyra Palm Tree Cutting in Odisha:
  • Odisha has banned the cutting of Palmyra Palm Trees to address deaths from lightning strikes, as these trees can absorb lightning due to their height, sap, and moisture content.
  • Nigeria is known as the "Palm Oil Country," and the Niger River as the "Palm Oil River."
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) logo features a Palmyra Palm Tree.
• Sunil Gavaskar's Bronze Statue:
  • The Mumbai Cricket Association unveiled a bronze statue of Sunil Gavaskar at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
  • Sunil Gavaskar was the first cricketer to score 10,000 runs in Test matches and was part of India's 1983 World Cup-winning team.
  • His autobiography is "Sunny Days".
  • A statue of Sachin Tendulkar was also recently unveiled at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Other Important Updates

• Anish Dayal Singh is India's current Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA).
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) headquarters are in Gurugram, Haryana.
• Bengaluru's Kempegowda Airport is the first in Asia to achieve Level 5 Carbon Accreditation.
• Payal Kapadia was honored with the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by France.
• The book "Beyond the Courtroom" is authored by Fali Nariman.
• Vaibhav Suryavanshi (from Samastipur, Bihar), playing for Rajasthan Royals, is the youngest batsman to score a century in IPL.
• India won 87 medals in the second Asian Yogasan Sports Championship.
• The "Sachet App" was launched for natural disaster protection.
• The central government selected "Sarvam" to develop India's first AI language model.
• Amazon launched the first batch of 27 satellites for broadband internet under Project Kuiper.
• The first meeting of the 3GP Radio Access Network working group on 6G standardization was held in Bengaluru.
• The 56th IIT Council meeting was held in New Delhi, chaired by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
• India's first two genome-edited rice varieties, DRR 100 Kamala and Marute 10-10, are related to rice.
• Baba Shivanand, a yoga practitioner honored with Padma Shri in 2022, passed away at 128 years old in Banaras.
• The Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting was awarded to The Washington Post for its coverage of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
• India's first inter-state Cheetah Corridor is in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• Nepal joined the International Big Cat Alliance.
• In the IMD Smart City Index, Zurich topped.
• The Marbat Festival (Puppet Parade) took place in Maharashtra.
• The book "Justice Denied, Justice Lost" was launched in Kolkata.